AIDS.gov receives funds for activities of HIV/AIDS from the HHS office. This is funds from the minority AIDS initiative which can respond to the impact of the epidemic on ethnic and minority populations. The allocation of funds is gotten from HHS secretary of minority AIDS initiative fund which is based on proposals of multi-agency. These funds are discretionary as opposed to funds that go directly to other HIV/AIDS agencies.
The minority AIDS initiative dollars fund has a link to the HIV/AIDS presidents initiative to fund the organization of AIDS.gov. The global funds for fighting AIDS were started as a non-profit foundation which is a unique public and private partnership that aims at attracting, managing, and disbursing resources to the countries that have been burdened by AIDS. The United States established the global fund and the United States government provided 40% of the total contribution and governs the board. During the six rounds of providing funds, $8.4 billion was committed by the global fund to 136 countries in form of grants. (Seibert, 2000 pp33-34)
How reliable are its funding sources
Health insurance schemes are made more affordable where people who are infected by AIDS purchase the coverage. Employees are encouraged to purchase health insurance on their own rather than getting in through their employer. The people who purchase their health insurance on the individual market are provided with substantial tax benefits in order to lower taxes for all those victims who are not insured for the insurance to be affordable and provide a significant incentive for the people to purchase coverage.
Initiative for affordable choices assists states to help the poor who are not financially stable without creating new federal funding and deduction in health insurance makes private health insurance affordable. Health savings accounts have been expanded in order to help small businesses by use of association health plans, information technology that reduce medical errors, and reducing the costs to ensure there is price transparency and protect doctors from being engaged in predatory lawsuits. (Vicki, 2002 pp15-16)
Do they implement financial accountability measures to ensure that funds are being used properly?
Communities and individuals should know all the costs incurred in relation to treatment to be able to make informed decisions and be able to finance their health care needs. This includes costs of medical consultation, HIV testing, biological tests for CD4 counts and viral loads, pharmaceutical expenses for ARV treatment, and treating opportunistic infections and infections which are sexually transmitted. Costs associated with food security and adequate nutrition in the course of treatment should be accounted for in treatment costs. Transportation costs to go to the clinic and lost wages should be accounted for and records kept acting as evidence of how the funds were used.
Clear information must be provided to show the groups that are supposed to receive free treatment depending on their level of needs and the ones to receive subsidized prices for treatment. Established measures are to be put in place to make sure that the listed prices are paid at the drug disbursement source and provide people with treatment education to get information on services that help them afford regular and long-term basis ARVs. (Vicki, 2002 pp13-14)
The questions I would ask AIDS.gov if I had donated a large sum of money and wanted to know how my money was being used
The first question would be on how many HIV/AIDS victims AIDS.gov supports with the money that I had donated. The organization should be able to give the exact number of victims whom they provide with health care. Next, the number of drugs needed by each patient should be available according to the infections that have been treated as a result of HIV infection, for example, tuberculosis treatment and treatment for sexually transmitted infection.
The cost incurred in testing the victims to know their HIV status and the ARVs treatment given should be kept in proper records after every treatment is given. The organization should be able to show how frequently the AIDS patients require to be attended and the amount of money they spend every time they require attention and the counseling services provided and the amount of money paid to the qualified counselors. Finally, I should be provided with financial records stating how the amount of money that I donated has been used and the remaining balances show is indicated properly. (Seibert, 2000 pp35-36)
References
Vicki S. (2002): AIDS; A communication perspective: Congress library, pp. 13-16.
Seibert J. (2000): Children, Adolescents, and AIDS: American Psychology Association, pp. 33-36.